Greek orthodox agrees?

LifeinChrist

khristos anestee, i heard that our church and the Greek Orthodox church and all EO churchs have come to an agreement that there was a misunderstanding and that our beliefs are the same but they have different councils. [glow=black,2,300]Is it true?[/glow]

PopeKyrillos

I am almost positive that this isn't true. Where did you hear this?

Unknown

That's old news. See www.orthodoxunity.org

Christ4Life

If our faiths/beliefs are the same, then what is the difference now between Oriental and Eastern Churches?

Unknown

[quote author=Christ4Life link=board=1;threadid=3729;start=0#msg53287 date=1146090676]
If our faiths/beliefs are the same, then what is the difference now between Oriental and Eastern Churches?


Whilst it can be argued that the two share the same essential faith (though using different terminology) there are still differences. The OO accepts only 3 Ecumenical Councils, the EO accepts 7. Also having been appart for so long the two churches have lived different lives, and recognise different Saints, etc.

God willing reunification will come soon, though I think proud nationalism (particularly with regards to Greeks and Copts), will be a big obsticle.

Unknown

I don't think nationalism is really an issue. The fact of the matter is that no true or genuine re-union can occur unless one Communion admits to being in schism all these centuries. This admission may not be explicitly stated, but it will indeed be clearly implicated when, and if, one Communion decides to compromise on the issue of just how many Ecumenical Councils there are.

Speaking as an OO, there are many reasons why I believe my Church cannot accept Chalcedon in particular as an Ecumenical Council. The two primary reasons are: 1) Its false ex-communication of St. Dioscoros, 2) Its promotion of vague Christology prone to Nestorian interpretation.

An Ecumenical Council, by virtue of its very name, has the purpose of promoting Ecumenicity i.e. the Unity of the Church. Points 1) and 2) are factors which render the Council anti-Ecumenical.

Note that with respect to 2), this concerns Chalcedon as understood in its immediate historical context, and its immediate historical consequences. I do not contradict the findings of the Joint-Commission by asserting point 2) since I agree with the idea that the EO Church today interprets Chalcedon in a perfectly Orthodox context.

Unknown

Aside from the differences in how many Ecumenical Councils our Communions confess, there are many other minor differences that exist:

Fasting:

EO's can eat shellfish during the Great Fast: crabs, prawns (or shrimps of you're in the States) etc. and they abstain from oil.

EO's eat cheese during preparation week, and do not fast the fast of Ninevah.

Calendar:

EO's are divided over the issue of what calendar the Church is to use.

Liturgical:

The Trisagion is a Trinitarian hymn in the EO Church, thus they do not add the Christological clauses e.g. "who was born of the Virgin, have mercy upon us".